Mayor Bloomberg, Deputy Mayor Linda I. Gibbs and Department of Probation Commissioner Vincent Schiraldi today launched NYC Summer YouthWRAP, a seven-week program that will connect 450 probation clients between the ages of 14 and 18 to paid summer jobs at Hurricane Sandy restoration projects in all five boroughs. Fulfilling a 2013 State of the City promise, NYC YouthWRAP (Weekend Restoration Assistance Program) began in January and has already engaged 200 young people in 13,587 hours of youth service during the first two phases of the program. More than 70 percent of the 84 young people who participated in the first phase of the program will continue on to NYC Summer YouthWRAP, and it is anticipated that the seven-week program will enable an additional 70,875 hours of service. The Department of Probation has partnered with the Department of Parks and Recreation, the Department of Health and Mental Hygiene and community-based organizations to identify projects where participants can make a meaningful impact on storm-damaged communities. The Mayor made the announcement outside of Barclays Center where he was joined by more than 400 participants including Aquarius Petteway.

“Two of the most effective ways we can help young people in the justice system lead law-abiding lives are by connecting them to good jobs and providing opportunities for them to give back to their community,” said Mayor Bloomberg. “NYC Summer YouthWRAP achieves both of these objectives. And it’s not only the participants and their families who benefit – YouthWRAP has a proven track record of providing meaningful assistance to New Yorkers impacted by Hurricane Sandy.”

“In the aftermath of Hurricane Sandy, New Yorkers from every walk of life – including those in the criminal justice system – stepped up to help their neighbors,” said Deputy Mayor Gibbs. “Since NYC YouthWRAP launched in January, the young people in the program have been getting rave reviews from both our partnering community-based organizations as well as everyday New Yorkers who have benefited from their hard work. NYC Summer YouthWRAP will allow even more youth to prove that they’re capable of transcending their RAP sheet.”

“When we launched NYC YouthWRAP, some skeptics wondered if we’d really be able to get a bunch of teenagers out of bed at the crack of dawn on the weekend to put in a hard day’s work on some challenging projects,” said Commissioner Schiraldi. “Once again, the skeptics were wrong – more than 70 percent of the young people who started with the program are here with us today, and we’ve received nothing but praise from all of our partners.”

Since launching in January 2013, NYC YouthWRAP participants have made a significant contribution to the Hurricane Sandy relief effort including:

13,587 hours of service

32,000 meals served

11,000 containers of food and non-perishable items packed

1,000 cases of water distributed

2,000 bags of leaves removed from seven NYC Parks

30 park benches refurbished and painted

12 trucks loaded with relief materials

10 houses repaired

Funding for NYC Summer YouthWRAP is provided by the Mayor’s Fund to Advance New York City. Previous funding was provided by the NYC Center for Economic Opportunity through the Work Progress Program, a partnership that provides wages for youth through internships, employment and community-based activities. NYC Summer YouthWRAP projects will be overseen by 46 crew coaches, all of whom were selected from the NYC Summer College Aid Intern Program. The program runs from July 8-August 23, and participants will work from 9:00 AM to 3:00 PM from Monday through Thursday. Participants can work up to 168 hours over the course of the summer and earn a total of $1,440 in stipends. The pay schedule is structured to reward good attendance and persistence.

“NYC Parks has a long tradition of putting young people to work in meaningful jobs," said NYC Parks Commissioner Veronica M. White. "The Summer YouthWRAP program continues that tradition and puts many of the participants into our Parks and will help keep New York the greenest city in the world.”

YouthWRAP participants have already made an enormous difference in communities recovering from Hurricane Sandy, and the Mayor’s Fund is pleased to extend their important work through the summer,” said Megan Sheekey, President of the Mayor’s Fund to Advance New York City. “Thanks to more than 20,500 generous donors, the Mayor’s Fund is supporting innovative recovery projects such as the targeted efforts of YouthWRAP."

“When I showed up for my first YouthWRAP orientation back in January, I never would have imagined that six months later I’d be here telling you how important this program has been for me,” said Aquarius Petteway. “I’ve seen first-hand how much some people suffered because of the storm, and it feels good helping them out. YouthWRAP is one of the best jobs I’ve ever had, and I think the summer is going to be even better.”

The following community-based organizations and NYC Parks will host NYC Summer YouthWRAP projects:

Citywide

Project Hope (administered by the Department of Health and Mental Hygiene)